Automatic dispenser control system



H. CAREW AUTOMATIC DISPENSER CONTROL SYSTEM Dec. 10, 1957 .Filed June20, 1952 3 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HERMAN GAREW LMWHu wfi ATTORNEY Dec.10, 1957 H. CAREW 2,815,774

' AUTOMATIC DISPENSER CONTROL SYSTEM Filed June 20, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet2 I r 29 Flg. watel; syrup solenoid solenoid INVENTORT HERMAN CAREWATTORN EY Dec. 10, 1957 H. CAREW 2,815,774

AUTOMATIC DISPENSER CONTROL SYSTEM Filed June 20, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3water syrup solenoid solenoid INVENTOR HERMAN CAREW WWW-(W ATTORN EYAUTOMATIC DISPENSER CONTRQL SYSTEM Herman Carew, Easton, Pa., assignor,by mesne assignments, to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New Jersey Application June 20, 1952, Serial No. 294,604

7 Claims. (Cl. 141-174) This invention relates to dispensing apparatusand particularly to apparatus of the type wherein a beverage isdispensed in predetermined quantity from a bulk container therefore intoa suitable portable container such as a paper cup.

More particularly, the invention is adapted to be embodied in theautomatic cup-dispensing system used in bulk beverage dispensingmachines of the coin-controlled type.

Some cup-dispensing mechanisms are of the type wherein the terminal cupis held in a position to be dropped instantly when the coin mechanism ofthe dispenser is operated, the remainder of the stack being supported bysaid mechanism above and separate from the terminal cup. A cupdispensing mechanism of this type is disclosed in U. S. Patent No.2,433,736, issued December 30, 1947 to Herman Carew and assigned toDixie Cup Company. =It has proved eminently satisfactory in operationand many are now embodied in bulk beverage dispensers.

However in some cases, because of the way the cup dispenser isinstalled, it is possible for the terminal cupv to be stolen with theresult that when a cup is called for after the coin mechanism has beenoperated no cup is dispensed with the beverage and the latter goesdirectly down the drain. This results in an irate customer andoccasionally in a damaged machine.

With a dispensing system made in accordance with the present invention,means are provided whereby, in the absence of a cup in the terminalposition at the time the coin-responsive mechanism is operated, theelectric circuit controlling the flow of the beverage is made ineffective temporarily but the timing motor reoperates the cup dispensingsystem to move the next cup in the stack to the terminal position,whereupon the beverage dispensing system is restored to normaloperation, the aforesaid cup drops beneath the dispensing nozzle and thebeverage flows into that cup, after which the machine is left in theproper condition for performing its normal cycle when the coin mechanismis next operated. All this takes place in response to a single actuationof the coin-responsive mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide a bulk beverage dispensingsystem for obtaining the results set forth above.

Another object is to provide a bulk beverage dispenser having anautomatic cup dispensing system normally operated in conjunction withit, in which provision is made for operating the cup dispensing systemindependently of the beverage dispenser when it is desired to test thecup dispensing system without causing flow of the beverage.

However, in the system hereafter described, the machine automaticallyrecycles following the insertion of the required sum until the nextsucceeding article, such as a cup, is dispensed. As previously stated,when the invention is used in conjunction with a bulk beverage tesPatent vendor, the flow of beverage is prevented until a cup has firstbeen dispensed to receive it.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a cup dispensing unit builtaccording to that disclosed in the aforesaid Carew patent together withcertain other parts including a portion of the subject matter of thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line II-II of Fig. l with certain detailsomitted for the sake of clarity.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1 showing howthe cups are supported on their dispenser, only one of several supportsbeing shown.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of a cup and beverage dispensing systemembodying the invention and showing the circuit when the terminal cup isproperly positioned.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the system when there isno cup in the terminal position.

In the drawings, and referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the cupsupporting and dispensing mechanism is shown as a pair of parallelplates 10 and 11 suitably spaced to receive therebetween mechanismincluding gearing and worms as hereafter referred to. The mechanismcomprises, in the main, a series of circularly arranged equally spacedcup dispensing worms 12 designed to release a cup instantly when theworms are rotated in one direction. The worms are designed to supportthe terminal cup 13 by their lower ends 14, while the remainder of thestack is supported by the next succeeding cup 15 which in turn issupported near the upper ends of the worms in spaced relation to theterminal cup 13.

Each of the worms is provided with a gear 16 at its A lower end. Thesegears are driven in the same direction by a ring gear 17. Gear 17 isdriven by a series of gears 18, 19 and 20, the latter gear beingattached to a shaft 21 driven by an electric motor 22. This motor, whichmay be the timing motor for the beverage dispensing system, alsooperates, through the shaft 21, certain cams for purposes hereafterdescribed. These cams include a cam 23 which rotates in the direction ofthe arrow (Fig. 4), to open a normally closed switch 24. When the switchis opened the circuit to motor 22 is broken and rotation of shaft 21 isstopped. The cam is so disposed with relation to switch 24 that themotor circuit is broken just at the time a cup has travelled down.

worms 12 and reaches their lower ends 14. When the motor is nextenergized, the worms 12 are again rotated to drop the terminal cup 13instantly while the succeeding cup 15 is disengaged from the stack andtravels down the worms to replace the cup 13. Thus in a single cycle ofoperation of the worm gears 12 the terminal cup is dispensed and isreplaced by the next succeedingcup from the stack, as described fully inthe aforesaid Carewv patent. The structure justdescribed is thatdisclosed in the aforesaid Carew patent to which reference is made forgreater detail.

The shaft 21 also carries cams for operating switches in circuitscontrolling the flow of beverage into the cup immediately dispensed. Inthe embodiment shown, provision is made for controlling beverage flow ina machine having syrup or other flavoring material, and a diluent suchas water, supplied from separate sources. For example, the cam 25 has alobe controlling the closing of a normally open switch 26, the latterbeing connected in series with a solenoid 29 which controls the flow ofsyrup. Likewise, the cam 27 has a lobe controlling the closing of anormally open switch 28 connected in series with a solenoid 3E)controlling the flow of the diluent, such as water. Obviously, if thebeverage is pre-mixed, one of the cams, and its switch and solenoid canbe omitted. It will he understood that the showing of the beveragedispensing system is purely schematic and that the features "ofinventionto be hereafter described are adaptable to any electrically operatedbeverage dispenser.

As has been stated, it is important in a coin-controlledbeveragedispenser, that a cup be available to receive the beverage whenthe coin-responsive mechanism is initially operated. In a cup dispenserof the typedis'closed herein,-it' is possible undercertain"conditionsfiforthe lowermost or terminal cup to be'stolen. Whenthis' happens, no cup is immediately available to receive-'thebeveragedispensed-when the coin-responsive mechanism is next operated. Accordingtothe present invention, provision is made for permitting the cupdispenser to recycle automatically upon a single operation of the'coinmechanism, to dispense the next succeeding cup, whilethe circuitscontrolling the beverage flow' aremade ineffective until that cup hasbeen dispensed.

One way of doing this is toprovidea feelerzadapted to contact the brimof the lowermostcup when thatcup is properly positioned, said feelerbeing pivotally mounted so as to move inwardly toward the axis of saiddispensing means and cup stack, in the absence of 'a cup in the terminalposition, and thereby permit operation of a switch which interrupts-thecircuit to the-beverage flow control switches but at the same timeallows the timer motor tooperate through another cycle, after which, acup having moved to the terminal--position,-- the feeler ismoved'outwardly from its innermost position, or no cup" positionaforesaid so'that it contacts the periphery of the newly-providedterminal cup to permit the switch operated' thereby to restore thecontrol of the beverage dispensing circuit to'the timer mot-or. Whenthis has been done, the timer motor again cycles, a cup drops and thebeverage which has been paid for fiows.

Referring to Fig. 1, the feeler 31 is fastened to a lever arm 32pivotally'mounted on the shaft 33 of driving gear 18. The end 34 of thefeeler projects between two adjacent worms 12 to contact the brim of theterminal cup 13. A spring 35 attached near the outer end of the leverarm 32-tends to move feeler 31 toward the brim of the cup. An adjustablestop member 33a is provided adjacent the end of lever 32-opposite theend to which the spring35 is attached. This stop 33a limits the movementof lever 32 in a counterclockwise direction about pivot33. Spring 35tends 'to'counterbalance the force of "the spring (not shown) whichmoves pushbutton 37 outwardly against portion 38 of lever 39. A singlepole, double" throw-switch 36 isprovided adjacent the outer end oflever32. This switch,-which is of the type springbiased in one position, hasa push button which moves it to'its oth'erposition when the push button37 is contaced bythe, upper arm 38' of a lever 39, the latter beingcentrally pivoted as at 40. This leveralso has a lower arm 41and anoutwardly extending arm 42, the latter being in-line with the-pivot anddisposed at right angles to .the" arms 38 and-41. The lever arm 42 has aslot 43 within which is received one end of a projecting-member 44, theother end 'thereofbeing fastened to the outer end of lever 32.

The lower arm 41 of lever 39 is adapted, under certain conditions, topass through-a slot 45 formed in the periphery of a cam disc 46, thelatter being attached to and rotatable with the shaft 21. The normalposition of lever 39 and its arm 41 is that shown in Figs. 1 and-4, thatis,with the arm 41 to the right of disc 46, as viewed facing thesefigures. This is the position it assumes when the end 34 of feeler 31 iscontacting the brim of terminal cup 13.

The cam disc 46 rotates 360 degrees during the complete cycle of thetimer motor. The slot 45 provides an opening throughwhich the arm 41 oflever 39 may pass at a predetermined time 'in-the cycle. Thus, the slot45 may provide such an opening during about 20 degreesof the totalrotation of disc. During the remainder-of thecycle the cam discprevents-21111141 from so moving -However the-slot-45 is so disposed onthe disc that in the absence of a cup in the terminal position, thefeeler end 34 moves inwardly to permit the arm 41 to move through theslot just prior to the time the beverage normally would be dispensed.Movement of the arm 41 through the slot at this time causes lever=39 topermit movement of movable contact 49 away from fixed contact 47 andinto engagement with fixed contact 48. The timer motor then recyclesautomatically, moving the next succeeding cup to the terminal position.Just prior to the time that cup reaches the terminal position, arm 41,which .has been bearing against the left-hand surface (Fig. 5) of disc46, slips through the slot, it being forced in'this direction by thepressure of the spring (not shown) which normally tends to urge movablecontact 49 into engagement with fixed contact 47. The timing of themovement of arm 41 in this direction is such that it causes end 34 offeeler 31 to be removed from thepath of thedescending cup just prior tothe time that cup assumes the terminal position.

Referring to Fig. 4, where the switch '36 is shown diagrammatically, itwill be noted that it comprises a pair of fixed contacts 47 and 48between which'is a movable contact member 49. The latter is normallybiased by a spring (not shown) into engagement with the fixed contact47. However, when a terminal cup 13-is not in position at the lower ends14 of worm gears 12, the movable contact member is forced to theopposite position so that it engages the fixed contact 48 (Fig. 5). Todo so the arm 41 of lever 39 must pass through'the slot 45 in cam disc46 as just described.

Contact 47 is disposed in series with a conductor 50 to which the syrupswitch 26 and water switch 28 are connected in parallel. A normallyclosed manuallyopened switch 51 is also connected in series-withconductor 50 and is disposed between the contact 47 and those switchesfor a purpose to be hereafter described. Movable contact member 49 isconnected in series with line conductor L ,'and normally closed emptyswitch 52, the latter switch being operated to open position bywell-known means when the cup supply is substantially exhausted.

Switches 26 and 28 are connected in series withsolenoids 29 and 30respectively, the circuitsfor each being in parallel and leadingto-a'conductor 53 connected with line conductor L A normally opencoin-responsive switch 54 is also-provided. This switch, which is of themomentary contact type, is in series with IIlOlOT'ZZflH a circuitincluding line conductor'L empty'switch '52, conductors 55 and'56,conductor 57, the motor, canductor 53 and line "conductor L Thecoin-responsive switch 54 and the timer switch 24 are connected inparallel, it being understood that the'timer switch is normally heldopen by cam 23 when the machine'is at rest. However, whencoin-responsive switch 54 is mementarily energized,'the motor22 isstarted and cam 23 releasesswitch 24 to permit the motor to continue torun until the cam 23 has made acomplete cycle, whereupon the switch 24is opened by the cam and the motor circuit is deenergized.

However, should there be no cup in the terminal position, movablecontact member 49 is moved by lever 39 to disengage the member fromfixed contact 47 and. into engagement with fixedcontact 48. As lever 39rotates on its pivot 40, its lower arm 41 passes through slot 45 in camdisc 46 to the left handside ofthat disc, as shown in Fig. 5. Themovement of movable contactmcmber 49 away from fixed contact 47 breaksthe circuit to the syrup and water switches26 and 28. At thecsame'time,motor 22 continues to rotate because a circuit'is set up from lineconductor L through member 49, contact :48, conductor '58, conductor 57and motor 22, thence, through the motor-and conductor-53w lineaconductorL It :will

. be noted that this circuit -shunts timer switch 24 and allows motor 22to recycle. 7

However as the feeler 34 has been .moved out of the path of the next'cup descending to the 'tertninaljpo's ition at the bottoms 14 of wormgears 12 because the lever arm 41 has moved back through slot '45 'ofcam disc 46, as just described, that cup or receptacle can descendfreely. This movement of the 'feele'r istimed to take place just beforethe said receptacle reaches the terminal position. Movement of the arm"41'to'the right '(Fig. 1) through slot 4'5 enables contacts 47 and 149to re-enga'ge so that the beverage flow controlling solenoids arereenergized, the timer motor 22 recycles automatically, the new cupdrops and the beverage flows into it, the sequence being such that thenew Cup drops before the beverage flow is initiated. The fe'eler 34 isso balanced that after it has made the movementljust 'described (awayfrom the descending cup) it will contact'the brim of "that cup-orreceptacle and will not move-inwardly toward the axis of the dispenseragain unless and until the terminal cup has been forcibly removed. Thevertical edge of the feeler 34 which contacts the terminal 'cup is 'ofsuch height that in normal operation that edge is contacted by the brimof the next descending cup or receptacle before that cup reaches theterminal position. Thus the feeler can never move inwardly toward theaxis of the dispenser unless the terminal cup has been forcibly removed.A primary reason for the use of cam disc 46 is to prevent chatteringmovement of feeler 34, thus affecting the operation of switch 36 and itscontacts 47, 48 and 49. The spring 35 and the spring (not shown)controlling the movable contact member 49 are delicately balanced. If itwere not for the cam disc 46 which provides a positive means forpositioning the lever arm 41, there might be such movement of themovable contact member 49 between the fixed contacts 47 and 48 as tothrow the whole cycle off timing.

An added feature of invention is the provision of a normally closedswitch 51 in the circuit between the fixed contact 47 and the beveragecontrol switches 26 and 28. When the service man holds this switch openmanually it is possible to test the cup dispenser by closing thecoin-operated switch without having any beverage dispensed during thetesting period.

Starting with the position shown in Fig. 4 which shows cam 46 withopening 45 and lever end 41 of lever 39 at the completion of a normalcycle, when a cup 13 is in a position to be dispensed and a coin isinserted, the motor 22 is energized through switch 54 and the mechanismstarts and goes through a normal vending cycle. During such cycle, thelever 39 does not enter into the function of the unit because ofcontinuous pressure transmitted from the cup through lever 34, 32.

Should no cup 13 be present in the dispensing position when the coin isdeposited, the spring 35 shown on Fig. 1 pulls the lever 32 connected tolever 39 and causes the lever end 41 to engage the inner face of cam 46and exert a pressure thereagainst. When a coin is inserted and the cyclecommences, the cam 46 begins to rotate, rotating until slot 45 reaches apoint opposite the lower end 41 of lever 39, whereupon the lever end 41moves through the slot and the pivot lever 39 will tilt on pivot 40 fromthe position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5. Thismotion of lever causes breaking of contact 47, 49 and closes contact 48,49. Breaking contact 47, 49 renders the commodity solenoids 29, 30inoperative, allowing the completion of one cycle without dispensing thecommodity. Closing contact 48, 49 bypasses normal cycle stopping switch24 operated by cam 23. However, since the circuit of motor 22 has beenclosed by contact 48, 49, the motor continues to operate, rotating theshaft 21 and cam 46, causing the slot 45 to again pass lever end 41 oflever 39. During the preceding cycle when no commodity was dispensed, acup 13 has been moved into dispensing position, as shown 6 in Fig. 4.This cup exerts pressure on feeler. 3'4 and lever 32 and lever 39,causing lever end '41'tobear ai s Qata f te "of can; 4'6? gna i t a :Pasth h slot -45 and return to its normal vending position shown in Fig. 4.

It will 'be 'ap parent from the fore going description that theinvention provides a novel system for ensuring-the ileliverybf apurchased article 'from an automatic dispensing device despite theabsence of an article in the position .from which "it is normallyintended to be disreus While only two embodiments of the invention have"been shown and described, it is readily apparent that other .fo rmsmight :be adopted, all coming within the scope. of the "following clain1's.

I c ai 1. Ina :device for automatically dispensing a plurality ofstacked nested receptacles individually and successively, electricallyoperated means for dispensing the terin'i nal receptacle "in said stack,electrically responsive coin-operated means for initiating "theoperation of said dispensing means, timer means "controlling the cycleof :operation or said dissensing means and automatic means*respons'iveto "the absence of an article in the terminal position forcausing the timer means to re-cycle automatically in response to asingle operation of the coinresponsive means.

2. Structure according to claim 1 in which the automatic re-cyclecontrolling means responsive to the absence of a receptacle in theterminal position includes a feeler member and a switch operatedthereby, said feeler member contacting the periphery of said receptacle.

3. Structure according to claim 1 in which the terminal receptacle issupported below, in axial alignment with and spaced from the remainderof the stacked receptacles in a position to be dropped instantly whenthe dispensing cycle is initiated.

4. In a machine for automatically dispensing a beverage into a portablereceptacle, the receptacle being first dropped from a stack thereof,said receptacle being the terminal article of said stack and beingseparated from and disposed beneath said stack, the combination in saidmachine of automatic coin-operated means for controlling the dropping ofsaid receptacle and the flow of said beverage into the receptacle, meansresponsive to the absence of a receptacle in the terminal position forpreventing the operation of the beverage dispensing system after thedispensing cycle is initiated by actuation of the coin-responsivemechanism, said means including electrically controlled means forcausing the machine to recycle, dispense a receptacle and restore thebeverage dispensing system to normal operation, all in response to theinitial operation of the coin-operated mechanism.

5. In a device for automatically dispensing a plurality of stackednested receptacles individually and successively and in which thereceptacle to be immediately dispensed is supported at a dispensingstation separate from but in axial alignment with the remainder of thestack, said separate receptacle-supporting means and said stacksupporting means comprising a common unit, the combination with saidunit of electrically operated driving means therefor, means for timingthe operation of said driving means normally through a single dispensingcycle coin-operated means for initiating the operation of said drivingmeans to dispense the separate receptacle at the dispensing station andsimultaneously to advance the next succeeding receptacle in the stack tothe dispensing station, said unit and its driving means normallycompleting a single cycle in response to the initial operation of thecoin-operated means, and means responsive to the absence of a receptacleat the dispensing station when the coin-operated mechanism is initiallyoperated to cause the timer means to recycle automatically and b delivera receptacle upon a single operation of the coinoperated means.

6. In a system wherein a beverage is dispensed automatically from a bulkcontainer therefor into a portable receptacle dispensed from a stackthereof, means for dispensing the terminal article from the stack, meanscomprising an electrical circuit for controlling sequentially thedispensing of a receptacle and then a predetermined quantity of beverageinto the receptacle, a normally closed manually opened switch in theportion of the circuit controlling the beverage flow, said switch, whenopened, rendering the beverage m control circuit inoperative whileleaving the circuit for the receptacle dispensing means in a conditionto be operated independently and means in the latter circuit for causingoperation of the receptacle dispensing means at will.

7. Apparatus in which a stack of nested receptacles are adapted to beindividually dispensed, means aligned with the bottom of the stack fordispensing the terminal receptacle, said means being so constructed andarranged that the terminal receptacle to be immediately dispensed isseparated from the stack but supported by the dispensing means in axialalignment with the stack in a position to be immediately dispensed onactuation of the dispensing means, electrically controlled meansincluding a timer for operating said dispensing means through a completecycle of operation to dispense the aforesaid terminal receptacle andreplace it with the next succeeding receptacle in the stack, movablemeans normally contacting the periphery of said terminal receptacle,said movable means being so mounted as to move inwardly toward the axisof the dispensing means in the absence of a receptacle in the terminalposition and an electrical circuit controlled by said movable means inits inner position to cause the timer means to be recycled automaticallywhereby to move the next succeeding receptacle to the terminal positionand dispense it.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,634,036 McLellan June 28, 1927 1,789,018 Opitz June 13, 1931 1,857,881Scott et al. May 10, 1932 2,433,736 Carew Dec. 30, 1947 2,512,573Walters June 20, 1950 2,548,241 Reynolds et al. Apr. 10, 1951

